A matter of observation
by IvoryMoonlight
Summary: "What are you talking about, Yu?" The redhead forced a funny smile on his lips. Could it be that Kanda Yu was more perceptive than everyone was giving him credit for?


"Yu, watch out!"

The redheaded exorcist jumped in front of his comrade and with a frighteningly large hammer returned the massive ball of akuma virus back to the assaulter. Taking the akuma off guard, a quite simple-headed level 2, Lavi destroyed it with its own bullet –if you could call it that. He waited for the level two to explode and burst in ash and dust, before turning over to look at the Japanese, hammer of a more normal size thrown over his shoulder. "Looks like I saved your butt there, Yu! You owe me!" he grinned boyishly and just in time, dodged his comrade's sharp blade. "Now that's no way to treat your comrade who just happened to protect you, Yuu!"

"Shut up! I owe you nothing. I was about to slice it up when you, moron, intervened." The long-haired exorcist grumbled, sheathing his katana gingerly. He then proceeded on walking away, headed to the direction of the nearby house. Or more like a mansion.

Lavi, chuckling, trailed him. Of course the almighty Kanda Yu would never, not in a million years, admit that he, _baka usagi_ as he preferred to refer to him, was there to shield him just in green-eyed boy had to speed up a little to catch up to him. He had noticed before that he had come to be taller than the samurai, quite unexpectedly. Not that he minded. He raised his arms and rested them behind his head carefreely, his single eye, however, thoroughly scanning the area. When he was ascertained that no akuma would be attacking them anymore, he relaxed a little his tense shoulders and clenched jaw.

"Man, who would have thought the new uniforms would feel even more comfortable and easy to move around in? Johnny is taking it too seriously." He pointlessly started babbling, already feeling slightly bored. As much as he enjoyed going on missions with Kanda, the Japanese was just too quiet and at that moment, Lavi was too exhausted to mess with him. He missed hanging around with Allen or Lenalee, or Krory even. Despite the hardships, they'd always have pleasant smiles on their faces, eager to talk about anything just to take their minds off disheartening things. When with Kanda, he had to spend hours of contemplating on every possible matter –if he wasn't pulling pranks on him, that is- and usually, the young successor of Bookman was driven to think about unnecessary and sorrowful circumstances.

"Che. It's his obligation to make uniforms that are comfortable and can protect us even a little bit." Kanda replied indifferently, not lifting his gaze off the ground as he treaded smoothly towards the mansion, where they had realised a fragment of Innocence might be causing uproar.

Lavi's face cracked in a genuine small smile. "You're right. A well-fitting uniform is essential." He repeated the overexcited scientist's words on the day he was first asked for his measurements. _You're our friend now. We all want to look out for you. Go get fitted._ Lenalee had egged on with a slight pat on his back. Despite her injuries, half of her childish face bandaged up, she had appeared so cheerful and friendly, it had almost pulled on a heartstring of his.

Almost.

How despicable of him, at the time, observing how they were nothing more but ink on his paper, when they were doing their best to take care of him, make him feel at home. And yet that's exactly how he was supposed to still think of them. Ah…the old panda would be furious, if he knew how his apprentice struggled to stop considering them all as friends.

A barely audible chuckle was enough to fish him out of his pool of thoughts. He directed his confused gaze on his companion, the slight upturn of the corners of his lips confirming the sound had come from him. Kanda paused treading for a small minute and gazed at him with cunning, dark eyes. "You…I had noticed it before but now I'm certain." Lavi furrowed his brows in bewilderment. "Something in you has changed." The Japanese observed and hoisted his sheathed weapon, aiming its tip at Lavi's visible eye. "I never know what's going on in that stupid head of yours but that eye of yours sometimes speaks louder than your damn mouth does."

"What are you talking about, Yu?" The redhead forced a funny smile on his lips. Could it be that Kanda Yu was more perceptive than everyone was giving him credit for?

The swordsman's smirk widened as he withdrew his raised weapon and started walking away again. "You're an even bigger idiot than when I first met you." He simply stated before he threw a murderous glance at him over his shoulder. "And the next time you call me by my first name, I'll cut you to pieces."

Lavi gulped painfully at the eminent threat but as Kanda fully turned his back on him, he shook his head with a humourless smile. He had been found out then? And by Kanda at that too. Now that was an interesting turn of events. He had to pull himself together. If he let too much of his inner self show, he was risking Bookman having them abandon the Order much earlier than expected. And Bookman Jr. despised the idea.

It's not that he had lost his desire to become a Bookman. Not at all. But as an exorcist, he had discovered a small part of him that he had buried deep in himself for a long time now and he just couldn't let it go just yet. Maybe having his heart shatter in millions of little pieces -when the time came- was his best option. Losing once and for all these people he had come to care for and call 'friends' was the solution to his problem. Maybe it could be the only way for him to finally be impartial and never let himself be attached anymore. Be a true Bookman. This couldn't have been a test from the old man all along, right?

"Ne, Yu, have you noticed?"

"What? That you are a total retard? As a matter of fact, I have." He growled, obviously ticked off how the redhaired always seemed to ignore his former request. Lavi wondered whether Kanda actually would one day keep to his threatening promise. Probably not. The tall Asian was quite similar to him. He cared when he thought he wasn't supposed to. He cared but never let it show, thanks to his pride and so called dignity.

"No, that your hair has grown too long! Isn't it getting in your way? Maybe you should have a haircut." He dismissed his biting comment and ranted on. Kanda froze dead in his tracks, making it easy to run to his side and to prove his point, he grabbed the end of the cascading ponytail –how come his hair felt always silk to the touch?- and tagged on it. "See?!" he beamed goofily.

Instantaneously, the beast was awakened. "Baka usagi! Don't touch my hair so casually! I'm bloody going to murder you!" he yelled ferociously.

Next thing Lavi knew, he had reached in seconds the gate of the mansion and using his hammer's extending ability, he had jumped over it, while Kanda was stuck on the other side, smoke fuming out of his head. "Come on, now, Yu, why are you reacting like that? It's not like I said to shave it off!"The katana's lethal blade slid through the dark railings and had almost touched his nose. He yelped in surprised terror and tripped on the stone behind his left foot. "Yu… you're a demon…"

Kanda's dangerous smile made an appearance yet again as he withdrew the blade. "And you still decide to mess with me. A true idiot. Someday, the old man will be left with no successor and I'll feel no remorse."

"Oh, I intend to live a long, happy life!" Lavi grinned, even though the word 'happy' never seemed to describe honestly the life of a Bookman.

"Che. Idiot." His comrade said before swiftly jumping on the other side of the gate as well. "Come on. We have an Innocence to recover. Stop fooling around."

"And you try to be a bit polite, okay?" Lavi advised as he knocked gingerly on the door.

"What are you implying, idiot?" Kanda asked obliviously as the door creaked open. The moment a timid, young maid appeared behind the massive door, Lavi greeted her with his ever polite, gentlemanish manner, while Kanda mumbled a 'good evening'. They both stared bewildered as the ebony-haired girl froze like a greek statue, her eyes of awe travelling between them, while a scarlet colour tinting her pale cheeks.

"The hell's wrong with that one?" The long-haired man said in a low voice and Lavi had to disguise his laughter in a short-lived snort. Frankly, how could such an unaware, simpleheaded man was able to figure Bookman Jr. out and not understand the effect he had on women? It gave him a bitter feeling of wounded pride. Oh well, it's not like the Japanese would ever know about _that_. Kanda Yu was more observant than he made people believe but that's probably how far his skills went. And Lavi wouldn't have him any other way.

* * *

 **And this is how far I can take a totally pointless one-shot! It has been a long time since I last wrote a DGM fic but now that the manga's back (hooooraaay!) the gears in my head started spinning again and I had to post something -even if it is the epitome of meaningless fanfic. And since I am going NUTS still not knowing what's happened to Lavi... well, this happened!**

 **At least we finally know what's the deal with the 14th! Hoshino-sensei is so amazing... :') By the way, I recently discovered that Hoshino actually does have Lavi grow taller than Kanda so don't think I made that up too!  
**

 **Anyway, review if you think this story deserves to be commented on :P If you take the time to actually do it, thank you from the bottom of me heart! I'll try to make Kanda smile sweetly for you~ (It's possible! I've seen it)  
**


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